Adjustable book cover



Oct. 3, 1961 v. AYERS ETAL 3,002,768

ADJUSTABLE BOOK COVER Filed Aug. 21. 1959 Averill V. Ayers h I 1:9. 3- y Walfer B. Zlkinson ATTORNEY H 3,002,768 ADJUSTABLE BOOK COVER Averill V. Ayers, Pine, and Walter B. Wilkinson, Evergreen, Colo., assignors to Tape Indexes, Inc., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Aug. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 835,204 9 Claims. (Cl. 281-34) This invention relates to independent, auxiliary cover means adapted for convenient association in protecting relation with paper-bound book units, such as directories, catalogs, and the like, and has as an object to provide an adjustable such cover unit that is practical and convenient of coaction with the book unit thereby to be protected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable book cover accommodative in a given embodiment of book units of diverse thickness.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable book cover characterized by novel means for coactively engaging the same in protecting relation with a book unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable book cover adapted for convenient protective coaction with and alternative separation from a book unit without recourse to tools or extraneous instrumentalities.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable book cover adapted for repetitious use in protective association with successive book units of diverse thickness.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable book cover adapted for production in any desired size throughout an extensive range in any preferred particularity of materials and finishes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and operative correlation of elements constituting an adjustable book cover. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable book cover that is simple and economical of production, facile of use, durable in protecting association with book units of wide distribution, and eflicient in attainment of the ends for which designed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construtcion, arrangement, and operative combination of elements as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is an elevation view, partially in perspective and with portions broken away to conserve space, of the complementary cover units comprised in the invention prior to their interassociationin position ofusea FIGURE 2is a plan. view, on a relatively enlarged scale, of the, upper edge portion of the cover units shown in FIGURE 1 as initially interassociated for coaction with a book unit, portions of the panels comprised in the asseinbly being broken away to conserve space.

FIGURE 3 is a section transversely through the organization according to FIGURE 2 as coactively associated with the book unit thereby protected.

, FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, detail, perspective view of coactable spring clip and rod elements comprised in the organization according to the preceding views.

Extensive production and wide-spread distribution of paper-bound book units having but transient significance, such as catalogs, telephone directories, and the like, provide occasion for the use of an auxiliary protective cover adapted for convenient, removable and replaceable association with such units to minimize damage thereto during the period of their significance as references and to facilitate handling and manipulation thereof, and the instant invention is hence directed to the provision of an States atent 11 3,0023% Patented 'Oct. 3, 1961 auxiliary cover uniquely adaptable to such purpose with provision for adjustment accommodating the cover to use with book units of varying thicknesses.

As typified by the views of the drawing, the adjustable cover assembly is characterized by and adapted to operatively interassociate generally-conventional, complementary boards or panels 10 and 11 identically sized and constructed to protectively overlie the front and rear paper faces of a book unit 12 'wherewith the cover assembly is designed to coact, said panels or boards '10 and 11 being of any preferred appropriate construction and finish common to the book binding art, wherein it is conventional to laminate a stiff rectangular insert between sheets of fabric, plastic, or the like. ,Hingedly connected to and preferably as an integral extension from the opposable long margins of the panels or boards 10 and 11, length-coextensive, laterally-narrow, stifi, flat flaps 13 provide a mounting and support for a thin, flat, metallic strap 14 thereto affixed, as by means of rivets 15, in length alignment with and against the face of each flap 13 adapted to overlap the spine of the book unit 12 in use position of the cover assembly, and each end of each strap 14 is ofiset into substantially perpendicular relation with the strap to provide a relatively-short leg 16 instanding perpendicularly from the plane of the associated flap 13 and then reversely bent inwardly of and toward the strap 14 to provide a spring finger 17 adjacently diverging from the leg 16 to terminate in a free end spacedly adjacent the strap 14 whereof it is a part; said straps 14 and their constituent elements '16 and 17 being dimensioned to receive between the fingers 17 of each said strap the spine length of the book unit 12 wherewith the cover assembly is adapted to coact. Identical in a complementary relationship of board or panel elements, flaps 135, and straps 14 with their leg and finger components 16 and 17, the covers represented by the panels 10 and 11 differ only in the provision of a flexible, preferably integral, adjunct 18 along and extending laterally from the flap 13 associated with the board or panel 11 at the side of said flap remote from said board or panel; said adjunct 18 being of a substantial dimension perpendicular to the length of the associated flap considerably exceeding the thickness of the book unit 12 to which the cover assembly is applicable and having a length somewhat less than that of the associated flap 13 correlated therewith adapted to engage between the legs 16 of the strap 14 utilized in the cover organization. Completing the cover assembly for its intended use in accordance with the principles of the invention, each of the fingers 17 carried by the straps 14 is formed with two or more holes 19 spaced apart on the longitudinal median line of the finger in identical size appropriate to accommodate the end of a straight, stiff rod 20 having a length somewhat less than the spacing between the legs 16 of a strap 14 and somewhat greater than the spacing between the fingers 17 of said strap; one of the holes '19 provided in each finger 17 being rather closely adjacent the free end of said finger directed toward the strap 14.

Constructed as shown and described in a size of its boards or panels 10 and 11 appropriate to protectively overlie the front and rear covers of a book unit 12, the improved cover assembly is convenient of operative asso ciation with such book unit in adjustment to the thickness thereof through simple manual operations.- The cover units typified by the boards or panels 10 and 11 are arranged on a supporting surface with their flaps 13 spacedly parallel in a separation of the hinge lines characterizing such flaps corresponding with the thickness of the book unit 12 to be associated with the improved cover, in which relation of elements and components the adjunct 18 is extended across and between the legs 16 of the strap 14 associated with the board or panel 10, a rod 20 is then sprung into engagement with the innermost holes 19 of the fingers 17 of the strap 14 covered by the adjunct 18 and is hence secured to overlie said adjunct in secure detachable engagement between the fingers 17 overhanging end margins of the latter, and the portion of the adjunct 18 extending beyond the so-engaged rod 20 is then folded over and about said rod to closely overlie and frictionally engage that portion of the adjunct bridging between said rod and its line of attachment to the flap 13 wherewith it connects. Such use of a first rod 20 and folding of the adjunct thereabout determines and maintains a separation of the flaps 13 appropriate for accommodation of a book unit of particular thickness, which book is then applied with the length of itsspine entered between the fingers 17 of the assembly and its spine corners registered with the hinge lines connecting the flaps 13 to their respective boards or panels 1t and 11, whereby the outer face of the book spine frictionally engages with the adjunct 18 where it embraces the rod 20, and, in suchinterassociation of the book unit and cover elements, the book is opened inwardly adjacent its front and back covers at zones such as will expose the outermost of the holes 19 intersecting each finger 17 and additional rods 24) are then sprung into engagement with said holes and in alignment with each of the straps 14- to secure the book unit to and against separation from the cover assembly so associated therewith.

As is fully manifest, a book unit associated with the improved cover assembly as represented by FIGURE 3 and above explained is retained by the rods 20 entered through and between the leaves of the book with the book spine bearing frictionally against the adjunct 18 looped about its rod 20 in a manner to preserve the spacing between the flaps 13 determined by initial adjustment of said adjunct, all in a manner to accommodate folding of the boards or panels and 11 into covering relation with the front and rear faces of the book and to permit access to the text of the book at any desired page thereof in a usual manner. It being desired to shift the improved cover from operative relation with a given book and to corresponding association with a diiferent book, separation of the book from the cover is quickly and simply accomplished by removing the rods 20 from their engagement between the outermost holes 19 of the finger 1-7, whereby to free the book for removal from the cover, whereafter appropriate adjustment of the adjunct 18 about its rod 2% serves to condition the cover for reception of a book unit of any expedient thickness connectible with and in the cover through reinsertion of the rods 20 through the book and into engagement with the appropriate holes 19 of the fingers '17.

Since changes, variations, and modifications in the form, construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of our invention, we wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims,

rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

We claim as our invention:

1. .An adjustable book cover for interchangeable association with book units of varying thicknesses, comprising complementary, size-coextensive panels adapted to protectively overlie the opposite exterior faces of a book unit, relatively-narrow flaps hinged to and coextensively along the margins of said panels alignable with the spine of an associated book unit, means engaged with said flaps adjustably coactable to join the latter in substantially-coplanar, variably-spaced parallelism, and means supplemental to said first means fixedly instanding from the operatively-inward face of each said flap for independently and detachably connecting said flaps to and in exterio'rly-overlying relation with the spine of an asociated book unit.

2. An adjustable book cover for interchangeable association with book units of varying thicknesses, comprising complementary, size-coextensive panels adapted to protectively overlie the opposite exterior faces of a book unit, relatively-narrow flaps hinged to and coextensively along the margins of said panels alignable with the spine of an associated book unit, a rod aligned with and detachably paralleling the operatively-inward face of one of said flaps in closely-spaced attachment thereto, a flexible sheet adjunct fixed to and extending outwardly from the free long margin of the other of said flaps adapted to engage under and reversely about said rod, whereby to adjustably join said flaps in substantially-coplanar, variably-spaced parallelism, and means for detachably connecting said flaps to and in exteriorly-overlying relation with the spine of an associated book unit thereby frictionally held against and to inhibit displacement of the sheet adjunct area opposed thereto at said rod.

3. An adjustable book cover for interchangeable association with book units of varying thicknesses, comprising complementary, size-coextensive panels adapted to protectively overlie the opposite exterior faces of a book unit, relatively-narrow flaps hinged to and coextensively along the margins of said panels alignable with the spine of an associated book unit, spring fingers yieldably convergent toward the operatively-inward face of one of said flaps fixedly supported in complementary, spaced relation transversely and adjacent the opposite ends of the flap generally perpendicular thereto, said fingers being correspondingly apertured spacedly adjacent the flap, a rod detachably end-engaged in the apertures of the fingers and spanningtherebetween longitudinally of and closely adjacent the flap, a flexible sheet adjunct fixed to and extending outwardly from the free long margin of the other of said flaps adapted to engage under and reversely about said rod, whereby to adjustably join said flaps in substantially-coplanar, variably-spaced parallelism, and means for detachably connecting said flaps to and in exteriorly overlying relation with the spine of an associated book unit thereby frictionally held against and to inhibit displacement of the sheet adjunct area opposed thereto at said rod. 7

4. An adjustable book cover for interchangeable association with book units of varying thicknesses, compris-- ing complementary, size-coextensive panels adapted to protectively overlie the opposite exterior faces of a book unit, relatively-narrow flaps hinged to and coextensively along the margins of said panels alignable with the spineof an associated book unit, spring fingers yieldably convergent toward the operatively-inward face of one of said flaps fixedly supported in complementary, spaced relation transversely and adjacent the opposite ends of the flap generally perpendicular thereto, said fingers being correspondingly apertured spacedly adjacent the flap and at zones more remote from the flap, a rod detachably endengaged in the apertures of the fingers nearest the flap and spanning therebetween longitudinally of and closely adjacent the flap, a flexible sheet adjunct fixed to and extending outwardly from the free long margin of the other of said flaps adapted to engage under and reversely about said rod, whereby to adjustably join said flaps in substantially-coplanar, variably-spaced parallelism, a second rod detachably end-engaged in the apertures'of the fingers more remote from the flap and spanning therebetween longitudinally of the flap. spacedly adjacent said. first rod between leaves and inwardly adjacent the spine of an associated book unit thereby frictionally held against and to inhibit displacement of the sheet adjunct area opposed thereto at said first rod, and means for detachably connecting the other of said flaps to and in exteriorlyoverlying relation with the spine of said book unit.

5. An adjustable book cover for interchangeable association with book units of varying thicknesses, comprising,

the margins of said panels alignable with the spine of an associated book unit, spring fingers yieldably convergent toward the operatively-inward face of one of said flaps fixedly supported in complementary, spaced relation transversely and adjacent the opposite ends of the flap generally perpendicular thereto, said fingers being correspondingly apertured spacedly adjacent the flap and at zones more remote from the flap, a rod detachably end-engaged in the apertures of the fingers nearest the flap and spanning therebetween longitudinally of and closely adjacent the flap, a flexible sheet adjunct fixed to and extending outwardly from the free long margin of the other of said flaps adapted to engage under and reversely about said rod, whereby to adjustably join said flaps in substantiallycoplanar, variably-spaced parallelism, a second rod detachably end-engaged in the apertures of the fingers more remote from the flap and spanning therebetween longitudinally of the flap spacedly adjacent said first rod between leaves and inwardly adjacent the spine of an associated book unit thereby frictionally held against and to inhibit displacement of the sheet adjunct area opposed thereto at said first rod, a supplementary set of apertured, inwardly-convergent spring fingers carried by the flap furnished with the sheet adjunct in an arrangement the same as that of the spring fingers first noted, and a third rod detachably end-engaged in apertures of the fingers of said supplementary set and spanning therebetween longitudinally of the associated flap between leaves and inwardly adjacent the spine of the associated book unit thereby clamped to and interiorly against the flap carrying the sheet adjunct.

6. The organization according to claim 5, wherein the inwardly-convergent spring fingers carried by the separate flaps of the cover assembly are identically formed as complementary terminals of flat, metallic straps secured to and longitudinally of operatively-inward faces of the said flaps in a length of strap slightly less than that of the flap.

7. In a book cover for interchangeable association with book units of varying thicknesses having complementary, size-coextensive panels adapted to protectively overlie the opposite exterior faces of a book unit, means for adjustably conjoining said panels in detachable use relation with a book unit, said means comprising relatively-narrow flaps hinged to and coextensively along the margins of said panels alignable with the spine of an associated book unit, a flexible sheet adjunct fixed to and extending outwardly from the free long margin of one of said flaps, a rod supported closely adjacent and to detachably parallel the operatively-inward face of the other flap for engagement within a loop bight of said sheet adjunct, a second rod detachably supported on and longitudinally of the flap in closely-spaced parallelism with said first rod engageable between the leaves and inwardly adjacent the spine of a book unit thereby clamped against the sheet adjunct bight about the first rod, and a third rod detachably supported on and longitudinally of the flap furnished with the sheet adjunct engageable between the leaves and inwardly adjacent the spine of the associated book.

8. The organization according to claim 7, wherein said rods respectively end-engage with and span between spacedly-opposed, apertured, complementary spring fingers carried by and inwardly convergent toward the operatively-inward faces of the respective flaps.

=9. The organization according to claim 7, wherein said rods respectively end-engage with and span between spacedly-opposed, apertured, complementary spring fingers formed as inwardly-convergent terminals of perpendicularly-related legs at the ends of a flat, metallic strap aflixed to the operatively-inward face of each flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 692,545 Reed et al. Feb. 4, 1902 

